MARIA LAU

"71"

Capitolio

 

 

 Maria Lau

 

John LeKay: Please tell me about the superimposed multidimensional imagery of the blurred figures, as if levitating or floating across the street in this picture.

Maria Lau: The image Capitolio is a black and white, in- camera double exposure. Its part of a series I started when I was experimenting and exploring self-identity and the multi-layers of my heritage. Cuba’s Capitolio is architecturally similar to our White House and I find that interesting and ironic.

The movement and shadowy people in the image is an example of how I integrate within the crowds to truly experience Cuba. And in most of my documentary work on Cuba I like to illustrate both a historical and visual narrative. 

 

 

Chinese Car

 

JL: What do the Yin and Yang and dragon symbols, superimposed on the Chinese car photograph represent and what were you thinking about at the time ?

ML: This series of photos was inspired by walking around Havana’s Chinatown and seeing the Cuban and Chinese culture intermix. From the vintage cars parked on the street, to Chinese plaques and signs, everything has been layered as I saw it on the streets of Havana. This yin/yang symbol is part of a sign for the Wushu Association in Havana that teaches martial arts and helps keep that Chinese tradition flourishing.

 

 

Say Jo

 

JL: Can you translate Say Jo and tell me more about this photograph.

ML:  I believe this sign translates as a memorial hall in honor of someone named Lam Say Jo. There were many Chinese societies at one time in Cuba and various structures and plaques still remain.

This photo is of a Cuban man walking through Chinatown and passing by this memorial hall. I like the way the layers worked out in this photo because he is unaware of the memorial hall, yet it’s a part of the history of the streets he walks through daily.

Dad Divination

 

JL: What about the superimposed strips of wood with red paint or bloodied tips across this mans face.

 

ML: This photo is specifically what started the “71” series. While at the Lung Kong (the designated home of the Lau’s in Havana’s Chinatown) I was directed to the prayer room and asked to pull a divination stick. When I asked for a sign that I was on the right path, I pulled out the stick marked 71. It’s a very significant number for me, so I named the series “71.”  I made this photo using an image of my dad as a younger man with the divination sticks superimposed on his face. He is the direct link to my Chinese ancestry and to the number 71.        (The sticks themselves are made of bamboo and are commonly sold as oracle sticks or fortune sticks)

Chung San

 

JL:  Chung San.  Do the dates 1909 and 1945 mean anything in particular?

 

ML:  As in the other photos, I use the Chinese name of the most prominent sign in the photo to distinguish it. Chung San in this instance is another Chinese society and is probably named after the city in China. The second layer in this photo is the sign for the main association of Lee Lung Say. The dates I am unsure about, it may have significance to one of the associations but I can’t distinguish properly due to the way the exposure was made.

Taipai

 

JL: Can you tell me about this image of what appears to be an apparition of man a carrying brief case.

 

ML: The double exposure of this photograph is portraying two street scenes. A bottom layer shows Cubans in motion traveling to their respective destinations, while crossing through Chinatown, which is the second layer.

Yee Fong

 

JL: What ere the 3 characters and the dog staring at when you took this photograph and where were they?

 

ML: This photo was taken near the church of La Caridad, on Salud street in Chinatown.

I was across the street examining another building when I turned around and there was the shot. This is one of those moments that happen in an instant and I can’t remember what happened that they all looked at the same time, but I liked their reactions.

 

The figure in the center and the one to the right seem to be neighbors that were talking. The man to the left is a friend of mine and was guiding me through Chinatown that day and he coincidentally ended up in the shot. The dog looking straight at me probably saw, or heard me move from across the street closer to them and started staring.

 

 

Kwong Wa Po

 

JL: Please translate Kwong Wa Po if you can, and what is your interest in classic cars?

 

ML: Kwong Wah Po is the name of the Chinese newspaper in Cuba, and I think it can be found throughout Latin America. This newspaper is considered a treasure in Havana’s Chinatown and carries quite a legacy. It currently employs about 10 people and the native Chinese workers are aging, so I am unsure about the survival of this newspaper.

 

The car in this shot was parked on the same street as the newspaper building and I found it odd being there. Especially since it seemed modern and shiny in comparison to the other cars on the street, so I included it in the shot.

I don’t think that I necessarily have a fascination with the classic cars in Cuba it just so happens that in documenting what is around me at the time, almost all the cars in Cuba are vintage cars. That’s part of the charm and ingenuity of the Cuban people and the same can be said of the Chinese associations in Cuba. They’ve preserved what they have and kept it running on little, to no resources.

Santera

 

 

JL: Who is the beautiful woman in the picture smoking the cigar and what does she do for a living?

 

ML: This beautiful and powerful woman is a priestess of Santeria, the Afro-Cuban syncretic religion. I cannot say for sure what she does for a living, though it’s possible that she solely dedicates herself to practicing Santeria. This photo was taken on the streets of Old Havana and I just happened to catch her taking a long pull on this cigar. The cigar itself plays a prominent role in Cuban culture, as well as in the Santeria religion, which is another reason I’m grateful for this shot.

 

The Chinese inspired photos from the “71” series deal with the search into my Chinese ancestry in hopes of finding surviving family members. I’m still working on this documentary, and it basically illustrates a journey of self-discovery within the multi-layers of my heritage and of this specific story.  The names of the photos in "71" are often just the names of the Chinese signs in the photograph. The entire street documentary from “71” was taken on the streets of Havana’s Chinatown. And the digital collages I made were added after the trip using family photos mixed with symbolism.  I'm interested in doing street documentary since I've always been fascinated with the way the Cubans live their daily lives.  The last series of photos I did there were in camera double and triple exposures.